Mokopane girl born without arms defies the odds
Born without arms, young Lesego has inspired her family and community with her determination, independence, and joyful spirit.
MOKOPANE – Four years ago, Martha Marema returned home from the doctor filled with excitement: She was expecting her first daughter after having two sons.
“I was so happy to hear I was having a princess,” Martha recalls. But she had no idea of the journey that lay ahead.
On the day baby Lesego was born at Voortrekker Hospital, Martha sensed that something was different. Despite hearing her baby cry, the midwives didn’t bring her daughter to her immediately.
“They tried to prepare me, but at that moment, I didn’t understand,” she says.
Lesego had been born without arms.
“When they finally gave her to me, I didn’t know whether to scream or cry. I was broken inside,” says an emotional Martha. “I spent days in tears, thinking someone was going to wake me up from a bad dream.”
It was difficult at first, not knowing where to begin or how to help her child. But Martha was determined that her daughter would live a full life.
“Even though she was born without arms, I was going to do everything I could to give her a normal childhood.”
She turned to online research, learning how people without limbs adapt to daily life. Teaching Lesego to use her feet was a challenge, as Martha herself couldn’t fully relate, but Lesego took it all in stride.
At nine months, she started crawling. A few months later, she was walking, though her balance needed work. And at just two years old, Lesego amazed her mother by picking up a spoon with her toes and feeding herself. Today, Lesego colours in with her feet, plays games on a phone and eats independently.
“The community has been wonderful,” says Martha. “Everyone looks out for her, and she has a special bond with her brothers. She radiates love and brings light wherever she goes.”
Lesego has even caught national attention in that President Cyril Ramaphosa wished her a happy birthday on April 13 via TikTok, where Martha shares her daughter’s inspiring journey.
“She is my miracle,” says Martha. “Without even realising it, she shows me every day that anything is possible if you believe.”
